Sacha Kljestan and Anderlecht were shut out for a second straight Champions League group stage loss, while the absence of Jermaine Jones did not stop Schalke from picking up three points.

RSC Anderlecht 0 - 3 Olympiakos

Sacha Kljestan and Anderlecht were unable to muster any firepower on Wednesday night, with their shut-out loss to Olympiakos looking to be a bad omen for their slim hopes of avoiding a last-place finish in Group C.

Kostas Mitroglou was the star for Olympiakos, and he put his team ahead after 17 minutes when Javier Saviola pounced on a loose ball just inside the 18-yard box and squared it to the young Greek star for an easy tap-in.

Anderlecht had the ideal chance to pull even seven minutes later when Andreas Samaris was whistled for taking Kljestan down in the area on a corner, but Aleksandar Mitrović's spot kick attempt would be saved by Olympiakos keeper Roberto.

That missed opportunity became particularly painful after the break, as Mitroglou doubled his team's lead in the 56th minute with a well-placed shot just inside the left post, then completed his hat-trick and the 3-0 victory in the 72nd with a curling shot past the fingertips of Anderlecht keeper Thomas Kaminski.

The result leaves the Purple & White at the very bottom of Group C on zero points, having yet to even score a single goal through two group-stage games. The road ahead will not get any easier, with two games against Paris St. Germain on the immediate horizon in group play.

In the meantime, Anderlecht return to their mixed domestic campaign, where they hope that a win over KV Kortrijk on Sunday will move them up out of their fourth-place position.

Notes

Jermaine Jones was not in uniform for Schalke's 1-0 road win over FC Basel on Tuesday. The win leaves them atop group E, with the two upcoming games against Chelsea likely to be the crucial deciders for first and second place.